Funded by: National Science Foundation

The project CHACHA (CHemistry in the Arctic: Clouds, Halogens, and Aerosols) is now underway in Utqiaġvik, AK!  This project involves two research aircraft, the Airborne Laboratory for Atmospheric Research (ALAR) from Purdue University, and the University of Wyoming King Air.  This project is a collaboration between PIs from Stony Brook University (Paul Shepson), University of Michigan (Kerri Pratt), University at Albany (Sara Lance), Penn State University (Jose Fuentes), and University of Alaska at Fairbanks (Bill Simpson), along with the U. Wyoming King Air crew and support from UIC-Science and NCAR EOL (Carol Costanza).  There are also collaborative measurements at a tundra ground site by PIs Fuentes, Ying Pan (Penn State University), and Pratt. We are delighted to report that approximately half of the PI team members are early career women!  The objective of CHACHA is to investigate how the changing sea ice and oil and gas extraction are impacting the atmosphere and clouds. We will test the following three hypotheses about atmospheric chemistry, aerosols, and clouds in the New Arctic: Hypothesis H1: Open sea ice leads are a source of sea spray aerosol, containing particulate halides, to the Arctic boundary layer, affecting cloud composition and the vertical and horizontal propagation of halogen chemistry.  Hypothesis H2: Oil and gas extraction emissions significantly modify regional scale natural halogen chemistry, impacting multiphase halogen recycling and activation, as well as the fate of NOx and O3.  Hypothesis H3: Atmospheric oxidative processing of sulfur, nitrogen, and other chemical species differs between clear-sky conditions, and those impacted by in-cloud chemical processing.

The two aircraft are housed in a hangar at the airport (PABR) in Utqiaġvik, as shown in the photo at left.  This is a highly complex deployment, the success of which depends on proper functionality of multiple instruments on both airplanes, the airplanes themselves, and the health of the teams.  But as of this writing all systems are (more or less) go!  Besides getting past our test flights and tweaking instruments, the teams have been getting used to life in the Ukpik Nest, and in Utqiaġvik.  So far, we have seen many polar bears (from a reasonable distance…), some amazing Auroras, and some appealing lead clouds off in the distance in the Chukchi Sea.  We are excited about this great opportunity!  Stay tuned for more as we acquire new data, and enjoy our team photos!

For more information, please follow Shep’s CHACHA blog!

ALAR and Polar Bear and Aurora Photo credits: Katja Bigge

Congratulations to Dr. Sharon Pochron, who has been promoted to Associate Professor of Practice at SoMAS!

In the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships, SoMAS student athlete Jessica Salmon has established a new 100 meter breaststroke record for the Stony Brook Swimming and Diving program, beating the previous record of 1:04.77 set by Jessica Peters in 2011 with a new record of 1:04.12!

Alumni Updates

Marine Conservation and Policy Program alum Dan Garatea (MA, 2015) is serving as the NOAA Hydrographic Surveys Division’s Operations Branch acting contracting team lead through May. Dan joined the Operations Branch in 2019, after previously working as a fisheries observer in Alaska for several years and spending far too much time fishing. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science, and a master’s in Marine Conservation and Policy from Stony Brook University, New York. He tries to spend as much time cycling, hiking, and traveling as possible.

Press Highlights

Yahoo: Stony Brook University Students Participate In IMPACTS Program

Times Beacon Record: SBU weather professors, students launch balloons during nor’easter

• Even as other Long Island residents were hunkered indoors, Stony Brook University Professors Brian Colle and Pavlos Kollias were teaming up with scientists from several institutions as a part of a three-year NASA-led study called IMPACTS, for The Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms.

Times Beacon Record: Calling for action in the face of climate change events

• As climate events continue to cause substantial widespread loss, damage, and financial costs that fall heavier on developing nations, a new commentary in the inaugural issue of PLOS Climate by two researchers, including Stony Brook University’s Professor Kevin A. Reed, calls for developed nations to direct resources toward operationalizing extreme weather events and impact attribution.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority: Governor Hochul Announces Key Offshore Wind Milestone as Contracts for Empire Wind 2 and Beacon Wind Projects are Finalized

• Through a partnership between the State University of New York’s Farmingdale State College and Stony Brook University on Long Island, the training institute aims to advance offshore wind training programs and the educational infrastructure needed to establish a skilled workforce that can support the emerging national offshore wind industry.

Democratic Undergraduate: Gentoo Penguins Discovered On Antarctic Peninsula – Moving South As Ice Melts, Seas Warm

• “It’s may be a cliché at this point, but they’re the canary in the coal mine for climate change because they’re so closely tied to those sea ice conditions,” Heather Lynch, an Antarctic penguin expert at Stony Brook University in New York and the remote leader of the expedition, told Mongabay in a video interview.

Newsday: Hemptead cleanup plan aims to boost oyster population in Jamaica Bay

• Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a $10.4 million project in 2017, which he dubbed the largest clam and oyster restoration project in the country. The project included plans to add 179 million oysters and clams in Long Island Sound and along the South Shore, with involvement by the DEC, Stony Brook and Cornell universities.

New York Ag News: Virtual Meeting Feb. 17 for Long Island Sound Embayment Study

• The study is one of many ways New York State is working to safeguard Long Island’s water sources, which includes Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed expansion of the SUNY Stony Brook Center for Clean Water Technology Research to include improved septic and wastewater treatment systems to treat phosphorus and nitrogen and the creation of the Suffolk County Wastewater Management District.

The Revelator: North Atlantic Mako Sharks Are Endangered — Now What?

• MCP graduate Sydney Randall (’21) and Carl Safina published an article on conservation issues and actions (and lack of action) around North Atlantic Short-finned Mako Sharks

Free Republic: Worldwide wastewater analysis reveals rise of designer drugs during lockdowns

• ‘It’s extremely hard to track these new chemicals,’ comments Arjun Venkatesan from Stony Brook University, US, who works in wastewater-based epidemiology for public health monitoring.

Long Island Advance: Analyzing snow; leading wood and beach walks

• All these experiences focus on marine life and the ocean.” Sydney Randall has a bachelor’s in environmental studies from Skidmore College and is a grad student at Stony Brook University, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences.

Long Island Advance: A burnished legacy of environmental advocacy and student leadership

• Eventually, their forays led to discussing issues, and Cooley would become co-founder of the Environmental Defense Fund in 1967 with Puleston, who was its chairman, with another co-founding member, then Stony Brook professor Charles Wurster, a significant colleague.

WaterWorld: New septic nitrogen sensor passes field testing

• The nitrogen sensor designed for use in advanced treatment septic systems was developed by Dr. Qingzhi Zhu at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, in the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology at Stony Brook University.

News12: Walt Whitman student to continue brown tide research through Barcode Long Island

• The DNA Learning Center program invites high school students to gain an intuitive understanding of the crucial interdependence between humans and the natural environment. It collaborates with Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory and the American Museum of Natural History.

Mirage News: Frozen spawn could heat up shellfish industry efficiency

• Other projects in NYSG’s most recent research suite, which are led by principal investigators at Stony Brook University, Hofstra University, the University at Buffalo and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, spotlight issues including fish and shellfish habitat, oyster restoration and rip currents education.

New York Times: Art Cooley, 87, a Founder of the Environmental Defense Fund, Dies

• “Art was very adept at dealing with people and making friends,” Charles Wurster, one of the other founders of the Environmental Defense Fund and a former professor of biological sciences at what is now Stony Brook University, recalled in an interview. “His mind was very logical, he was very strategic, and he knew a lot about environmental issues.”

Coastal Review: Institute part of effort to study harnessing ocean’s energy

• Led by the University of New Hampshire, the partnership was awarded $9.7 million over four years from the U.S. Department of Energy. The institute, which is administered by East Carolina University, is also partnering with Stony Brook University in New York and Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

Northforker: How the emergence of kelp is capturing carbon, fertilizing fields and tickling the fancy of North Fork chefs

• That changed when Stony Brook University kelp researcher Mike Doall planted kelp on Paul McCormick’s Great Gun Oyster Farm in Moriches Bay in 2020 and it grew better in a few feet of water than kelp grown at any of the other test sites, including the ones in the deepest waters.

Star-Gazette: NY colleges are training students to lead statewide push toward green energy. Here’s how

• The schools will share a grant of $570,000, which comes out of the state’s $20 million investment in the Offshore Wind Training Institute, a partnership between SUNY Farmingdale and Stony Brook University on Long Island.  Also ran in Wellsville Daily Reporter, Ithaca Journal, Daily Messenger, Democrat and Chronicle, The Journal News – lohud.com, The Evening Tribune, Poughkeepsie Journal, The Leader, Yahoo News and the Times Telegram.

NASA Earth Expeditions: Planning, Coordinating and Communicating: The Science Behind Winter Storm Chasing Experiments

• Brian Colle, atmospheric science professor at Stony Brook University, is part of many operations in NASA’s Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS).

Latest Seminar Videos

In case you missed them, here’s the latest seminar videos available on our YouTube channel:

• Dr. Jim Thorson – Eating on the Run
• Dr. Marcus Huettel – Oil Degradation on Sandy Beaches
• Dr. Cody Garrison – Hurricanes Under The Microscope

SoMAS is happy to welcome Assistant Professor Jack McSweeney to our Marine Sciences Division. Jack is a physical oceanographer coming from Oregon State University with a research specialty in estuarine dynamics, coastal sediment transport, shoaling internal waves, and coastal connectivity.

Dr. Joe Warren and Dr. Lesley Thorne have received a new award from Sunrise Wind in support of the project “Assessing Environmental and Biological Drivers of North Atlantic Right Whale Abundance and Distribution in New York and the Southern New England Shelf”, for the period 1/15/2022 – 1/14/2024 in the amount $1,232,617.

Abstract:
This project will assess and quantify spatio-temporal dynamics of zooplankton in waters of the New York Bight and Southern New England Shelf, with a focus on the Sunrise Wind Farm area, and will integrate zooplankton data into habitat models for North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW; Eubalaena glacialis) to improve our predictive capacity for NARW in wind energy areas in both space and time. This work will improve our understanding of drivers of right whale habitat, and will allow predictions of right whale density under different environmental conditions in order to identify times and regions of high risk for anthropogenic impacts on right whales. This information is critical to dynamic management efforts in the Northeast US in order to decrease lethal and sub-lethal impacts from human activities such as vessel traffic and offshore construction. This project will leverage previous and ongoing sampling and analysis efforts in order to provide a comprehensive analysis of changes to copepod prey species in the study area before, during and after wind farm construction in the Sunrise Wind area. This long-term focus will allow us to differentiate between impacts of wind farms and other climate, environmental and anthropogenic stressors in assessing changes in copepod prey species. The approach we present for New York waters is one that can be extended to other regions of interest, and fosters collaborations with other scientists in the Northeast US studying right whales and their prey, including collaborators at Rutgers University, the New England Aquarium, the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, and Syracuse University.

January Press Highlights

Newsday: Plan to remove ‘ghost’ lobster traps that kill sea life from Nassau waters in Long Island Sound

• Carl Safina, professor of marine science at Stony Brook University said all kinds of commercial fishing create problems when lines, nets or traps get lost. “The idea of ghost gear — lost fishing gear that still catches — is actually an enormous worldwide problem,” he said. “A lot of lost gear has the potential to continue to catch.”

Hakai Magazine: China’s Surprisingly Robust System of Marine Protection

• Ellen Pikitch, who studies ocean conservation at Stony Brook University in New York, first started looking into China’s marine protected areas (MPAs) after she learned of their existence at a fisheries workshop in China in 2014. “I was surprised because I have worked on ocean conservation for a long time but had never heard of them,” she says.

RT  Magazine: Dry Heat Disinfecting of N95 Mask Works, Preserves Fit

• A study led by Stony Brook University researchers discovered that a readily available method using dry ovens can be used to disinfect N95s for reuse, in settings where new masks may not be available, according to findings published in Plos One. Also posted by Brookhaven Lab.

Times of News: Dry Heat Disinfecting of N95 Mask Works, Preserves Fit (press release)

•  A study led by Stony Brook University researchers discovered that a readily available method using dry ovens can be used to disinfect N95s for reuse, in settings where new masks may not be available. Their findings are published in PLOS ONE. Also ran in Medical X-Press.

Futurity: Dry oven heat can disinfect N95 COVID masks

• “Our study shows that treatment of N95 face masks with dry heat is sufficient to inactivate COVID-19 and filter aerosolized particles for potentially exposed workers. It has been shown to maintain the capabilities of these masks.” Also ran in Jio for Me and Scibd.

Times Beacon Record: Stony Brook University researchers say dry heat disinfecting of N95 masks works, preserves fit

• Entering a third year of the COVID-19 pandemic and the latest infection surge nationwide comes with many challenges. One of those is for a continued adequate supply of masks, including the often used N95 respirator masks for healthcare and other settings. A study led by Stony Brook University researchers discovered that a readily available method using dry ovens can be used to disinfect N95s for reuse, in settings where new masks may not be available. Their findings are published in PLOS ONE.

Long Island Business News: SBU researchers say dry-heat disinfects N95 masks

• N95 masks can be disinfected via dry heat ovens without compromising the fit. That’s according to researchers at Stony Brook University who recently published their findings in  PLOS ONE. Their findings could serve as a guide to practical safe reuse of N95s, combatting any shortages, the researchers say.

Jio for Me: Dry heat can disinfect N95 masks for reuse, studies find

• In a new study at Stony Brook University, researchers discover that N95 can be disinfected and reused using readily available methods using a dry oven in environments where new masks may not be available. Did. Also ran in Knowridge,

Three Village Patch: Dry Heat Disinfecting Of N95 Masks Works, Preserves Fit (press release)

• A study led by Stony Brook University researchers discovered that a readily available method using dry ovens can be used to disinfect N95s for reuse, in settings where new masks may not be available. Their findings are published in PLOS ONE.

Biz News Post: China’s Surprisingly Robust System of Marine Protection | Hakai Magazine

• Ellen Pikitch, who studies ocean conservation at Stony Brook University in New York, first started looking into China’s marine protected areas (MPAs) after she learned of their existence at a fisheries workshop in China in 2014. “I was surprised because I have worked on ocean conservation for a long time but had never heard of them,” she says.

Times Beacon Record: Stony Brook University named finalist for historic Governors Island Center for Climate Solutions (Also in Three Village Patch)

• Stony Brook University is the leading public research university in the greater NYC area, and a proud member of the SUNY system. Its areas of foremost academic distinction include its School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, and the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. Alongside Stony Brook University, the New York Climate Exchange’s founding partners include Brookhaven National Laboratory, University of Oxford, and University of Washington. Additional academic partners include Columbia University, Stanford University, Yale University, University of Tokyo, SUNY Maritime College, and Rochester Institute of Technology.

Newsday: Breach near Smith Point created during 2012 storm continues to close

• In an interview last week, Stony Brook University research professor Charles Flagg of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences said the influx of sand into and around the breach has sharply reduced the depth of the major channel through the waterway. At its deepest during the past decade, it had been 15 to 20 feet. Now, he said, the water channel is just over 6 feet.

Times Beacon Record: Postponed: Vanderbilt Museum kicks off 2022 lecture series Jan. 13

• (Update: This event has been postponed to April 14.) As part of its Ecology and Climate Change lecture series, the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport will welcome Stony Brook University’s Heather Lynch for a presentation titled Mapping Penguins with Satellites, Drones and Other Technologies in the Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium on Jan. 13 at 7 p.m.

Newsday: A mixed-use complex nearing completion is among ongoing plan to revitalize Upper Port area

• Rich Murdocco, a Stony Brook University adjunct planning professor, questioned adding new development around the train stop, noting proposals to eventually move the station west.

Southampton Press: $3.3 Million Grant Aids In Westhampton Beach Sewer Project

• CPF came into play because the project, while providing a direct economic benefit to the village in terms or greater housing and business opportunities in the business district, is also expected to provide a direct environmental benefit to the Monibogue Canal and Monibogue Bay, according to an environmental report conducted by Dr. Christopher Gobler of Stony Brook University in 2017. The expected environmental benefits also helped secure the state and county grants.

Phoenix Magazine: Pandemic Tech: Local COVID-19 Health Innovations

• An early study by the Department of Pathology at Stony Brook University experimented with dry-heat ovens and N95 masks in an attempt to disinfect them so they could be used again for health-care workers.

Optimist Daily: Study: Dry heat can be used to disinfect N95 masks

• “Our study demonstrated that treatment of N95 face masks using dry heat was sufficient to inactivate COVID-19, while preserving the ability of these masks to filter aerosolized particles for potentially exposed workers,” says lead author Kenneth Shroyer, professor at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.

Newsday: The state signs contracts for two previously awarded offshore wind farms

• Stony Brook University and Farmingdale State College, which partner with the state in the Department of Education, have already or will soon have a certificate or degree in offshore wind training. And Suffolk County Community College is planning programs with a $ 10 million grant from Ørsted. Also ran MCU Times

New York State Department of Transportation: Governor Hochul Announces Key Offshore Wind Milestone as Contracts for Empire Wind 2 and Beacon Wind Projects Are Finalized

• Through a partnership between the State University of New York’s Farmingdale State College and Stony Brook University on Long Island, the training institute aims to advance offshore wind training programs and the educational infrastructure needed to establish a skilled workforce that can support the emerging national offshore wind industry.

The Independent: Climate crisis leads to discovery of new penguin colonies in Antarctic

• Dr Heather J. Lynch, professor of ecology & evolution at New York’s Stony Brook University, and an expedition lead, explained that the trip had involved surveying on foot, for the first time, parts of the peninsula where penguin colonies had been spotted from satellites. Also Yahoo! News, Phoneweek

D1Softball News: “New sanctuaries soon or they will not survive” – ​​Corriere.it

• Today, in the Penguin Awareness Day, the day dedicated to the international awareness of the risks that penguins run, perhaps the most iconic animals of the Antarctic territory, a team of scientists from the Stony Brook University he’s back in the field, aboard the ship “Arctic Sunrise”, for a new census and to study closely the consequences of climate change on populations.

WBUR-FM/NPR: Reducing trash may reduce the need for incinerators in Mass.

• “When we look at what the impact of those two gasses just happens to be with respect to, say, climate change and greenhouse gasses, clearly the methane gas is significantly more detrimental to our environment than the [carbon dioxide],” said Frank Roethel, research professor and director of the Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Institute at Stony Brook University.

Techno Trendz: As a result of climate change, penguins are expanding their range in Antarctica.

• Scientists from New York’s Stony Brook University are also onboard.’’

Yahoo News/The Independent: Climate crisis leads to discovery of new penguin colonies in Antarctic

• Heather Lynch, professor of ecology and evolution at New York’s Stony Brook University, and an expedition lead, explained that the trip had involved surveying on foot, for the first time, parts of the peninsula where penguin colonies had been spotted from satellites.

Green Queen: Thanks, Climate Change? New Penguin Colonies Discovered As Birds Move South Due to Rising Temperatures

• “Mapping out these remote archipelagos will give us a better understanding of how the region’s penguins are responding to rapid climate change,” Heather Lynch, the expedition lead and professor of ecology and evolution at New York’s Stony Brook University, said in a statement. Also ran in Good Word News.

KGO-TV: Discovery of penguin colony in Antarctic appears to be another sign of climate crisis

• Greenpeace campaigners and scientists from Stony Brook University are in the Antarctic, on this Penguin Awareness Day, and they’re seeing firsthand what the climate crisis has done. Also ran on ABC7 News,

Greenpeace: Scientists discover new penguin colonies that reveal impacts of the climate crisis in the Antarctic

• New penguin colonies not previously known to science have been found in the Antarctic by researchers from Stony Brook University

Bethpage Newsgram:  Farm to fairway: Town to use natural fertilizer

• The Town has expanded its kelp operations in partnership with Adelphi, SUNY Stony Brook, and Cornell Cooperative Extension, now growing over 3,000 feet of kelp – the equivalent of 10 football fields – in Harry Tappan Marina, Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park Marina, TOBAY Beach Marina, Oyster Bay Harbor and Cold Spring Harbor Conservation Management Areas.

Ship Technology: Horizon Spirit Container Ship (part of MAGIC campaign)

• The project involved the participation of DOE’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory including collaborators from NASA, Stony Brook University, and several other universities and private consultants.

BBC: Penguin colony found in south Antarctic sign of climate change

• The penguin colonies, which have not previously been studied, were discovered by researchers from Stony Brook University, in New York.

Nature World News: New Penguin Colonies Discovered in the Antarctic Due to Climate Crisis

• In an interview voyage leader and instructor of biology and ecology at Stony Brook College in New York, Heather Lynch, clarified that the journey implicated aerial surveys on foot, for the very first time, critical aspects of the mainland where penguin territories was already sighted from space telescopes.

Mongabay: As climate change melts Antarctic ice, gentoo penguins venture further south

• “It’s may be a cliché at this point, but they’re the canary in the coal mine for climate change because they’re so closely tied to those sea ice conditions,” Heather Lynch, an Antarctic penguin expert at Stony Brook University in New York and the remote leader of the expedition, told Mongabay in a video interview. Also ran in Enviro Link and South Africa Today.

Live Science: Here’s why a new penguin colony in Antarctica is cause for concern

• “Mapping out these remote archipelagos will give us a better understanding of how the region’s penguins are responding to rapid climate change,” expedition co-leader Heather J. Lynch, a professor of ecology and evolution at Stony Brook University in New York, said in the statement. “

East Hampton Patch: Oyster Reefs: A Keystone of Bay Restoration

• Panelists Mike Doall– Associate Director for Bivalve Restoration, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook, Bradley Peterson, Associate Professor, school of marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook and Gregg Rivara, Cornell Cooperative Extension Aquaculture Specialist.

Fishing Wire: EPA Approves Permit For Wind Farm Off Martha’s Vineyard

• “This truly demonstrates the reality of offshore wind coming to Long Island and the East Coast,” said Robert B. Catell, Chairman of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University and the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium.

Sleep Review: Dry Heat Disinfecting of N95 Mask Works, Preserves Fit

• A study led by Stony Brook University researchers discovered that a readily available method using dry ovens can be used to disinfect N95s for reuse, in settings where new masks may not be available, according to findings published in Plos One.

Live Science: Here’s why a new penguin colony in Antarctica is cause for concern

• “Mapping out these remote archipelagos will give us a better understanding of how the region’s penguins are responding to rapid climate change,” expedition co-leader Heather J. Lynch, a professor of ecology and evolution at Stony Brook University in New York, said in the statement.  Also ran on MSN.

Mirage News: “It’s like looking through a window” – giant portal to Antarctic appears in London

• Greenpeace International is in the Antarctic working with scientists from Stony Brook University in the US conducting research on the decline of penguin populations in the region.

New York Times: This is how climate change supercharges snowfall.

• How do record-setting high global temperatures fit in with intense, sprawling snowstorms, like the one that froze Texas last year, or the one that is now blanketing the Northeast and bringing unusual chills as far south as Miami? “Very logically,” said Kevin Reed, an associate professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University on Long Island.

North Forker: Geek Talks at übergeek Brewing Co. make science (and more) fun for all

• Chris Paparo is a bit of a punk rock scientist. The manager of the Marine Sciences Center at Stony Brook Southampton’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, he shares his wealth of knowledge through lectures at libraries and other places that don’t quite feel like lectures. That’s certainly the case at Geek Talk, the series he hosts at übergeek Brewing Company in Riverhead. The events are attended by about 65 to 100 guests every other Thursday night. Attendees are treated to an interesting lecture about a unique topic while enjoying craft beer and a rotation of food trucks.

CBS 2 New York: Stony Brook University Students Participate In IMPACTS Program

• During the worst of the blizzard, a group of Stony Brook University students and their professors braved the high winds and pummeling snowfall for the greater good – to improve winter storm forecasting.

Latest Seminar Video

Latest Publications
Bohorquez JJ, Dvarskas A, Jacquet J, Sumaila UR, Nye J and Pikitch EK (2022) A New Tool to Evaluate, Improve, and Sustain Marine Protected Area Financing Built on a Comprehensive Review of Finance Sources and Instruments. Front. Mar. Sci. 8:742846. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.742846

Druffel, E. R., Beaupré, S. R., Grotheer, H., Lewis, C. B., McNichol, A. P., Mollenhauer, G., & Walker, B. D. (2022). MARINE ORGANIC CARBON AND RADIOCARBON—PRESENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES. Radiocarbon, 1-17.

Zhang, C., Chen, Y., Xu, B., Xue, Y., & Ren, Y. (2022). The dynamics of the fishing fleet in China Seas: A glimpse through AIS monitoring. Science of The Total Environment, 153150.

Pitt, J. R., Lopez-Coto, I., Hajny, K. D., Tomlin, J., Kaeser, R., Jayarathne, T., … & Shepson, P. B. (2022). New York City greenhouse gas emissions estimated with inverse modeling of aircraft measurements. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 10(1).

Benitt, C., Young, C. S., Sylvers, L. H., & Gobler, C. J. (2022). Inhibition of harmful algal blooms caused by Aureococcus anophagefferens (Pelagophyceae) using native (Gracilaria tikvahiae) and invasive (Dasysiphonia japonica) red seaweeds from North America. Journal of Applied Phycology, 1-19.

Gao, X., Zhu, J., Zeng, X., Zhang, M., Dai, Y., Ji, D., & Zhang, H. (2022). Changes in Global Vegetation Distribution and Carbon Fluxes in Response to Global Warming: Simulated Results from IAP-DGVM in CAS-ESM2. Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, 1-14.

Jin, J., Dong, X., He, J., Yu, Y., Liu, H., Zhang, M., … & Wang, Y. (2022). Ocean Response to a Climate Change Heat-Flux Perturbation in an Ocean Model and Its Corresponding Coupled Model. Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, 39(1), 55-66.

Hahn, M. A., Piecyk, A., Jorge, F., Cerrato, R., Kalbe, M., & Dheilly, N. M. Host phenotype and microbiome vary with infection status, parasite genotype, and parasite microbiome composition. Molecular Ecology.

Yuen, J. G., Marshilok, A. C., Benziger, P. T., Yan, S., Cello, J., Stackhouse, C. A., …, Knopf, D.A., & Shroyer, K. R. (2022). Dry heat sterilization as a method to recycle N95 respirator masks: The importance of fit. PloS one, 17(1), e0257963.

Our Bachelor’s in Marine Science is ranked #5 according to College Values Online and is in the Top 15 Best Colleges for Marine Biology according to American Oceans!

2021 Evan R. Liblit Memorial Scholarships Winners Announced

It is that time of year again, when we have the distinct pleasure to announce the winners of the Evan R. Liblit Memorial Scholarships. In 1997, Stony Brook University recognized Evan Liblit’s contributions to solid waste management and recycling, and established a memorial scholarship in his name. The Evan R. Liblit Memorial Fund supports undergraduate and graduate students whose research relates to issues in the area of environmental management. As in past years, the quality of the applicants was very impressive and the research they have been undertaking is both novel and significant. Two undergraduate scholars and one graduate scholar were selected after much discussion among the Liblit scholarship committee members.

The two undergraduate students are: Myra Arshad, a senior working in Sharon Pochron‘s lab and Kellianne Ticcony, a junior working with David Taylor. Each undergraduate student will receive a stipend of $1,500.

The graduate student is Griffin Walker, an MS student working with David Tonjes in the Dept of Technology and Society, who will be presented with a $4,000 award.

Justin Willson is the URECA Researcher of the Month for October!

Justin Willson is a Junior Applied Math & Statistics (AMS)/Physics double major in the Honors College whose research in the Climate Extremes Modeling Group (SoMAS) of Dr. Kevin Reed focuses on: “Examining Future Changes in Tropical Cyclone Intensity Near Landfall.” Over the last few months, he gained experience doing big data analysis, working with complex data files, and developing Python code to analyze data from past and future climate simulations, research that was supported by a 2021 URECA summer award. Justin plans to build on his atmospheric sciences analysis/modeling work with Dr. Reed for his Honors College senior thesis next year. Justin first became involved in research at SBU during freshman year, doing Light Polarization experiments at the Laser Teaching Center/LTC (Physics & Astronomy) under the mentorship of Dr. Eric Jones, and Dr. Harold Metcalf. His LTC project “Monte Carlo Simulation of Bell Inequalities” was supported with funding through a Simons Foundation-sponsored URECA summer award (2020).  Justin presented this project virtually at the Frontiers in Optics plus Laser Science (FiO+ LS) Conference last September and at the 2021 URECA spring symposium.  Justin is a member of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) and Running Club. Outside of research, he enjoys fishing, running and soccer. Justin is from Massachusetts, and is a graduate of King Philip Regional High School (Wrentham, MA).

For the complete interview, please visit the URECA website

Other Press Highlights

Southampton Press: Record Year For ‘Rust Tide’ Algae Scourge

• The red algae that has earned the nickname “rust tide” has continued to bloom in deadly reddish-brown ribbons into the month of October for the first time on record, Stony Brook University scientists say — an ignominious milestone that threatens fish and shellfish species in Shinnecock and Peconic bays. Also ran in Sag Harbor Express.

Times Beacon Record: Intensive cloud study in Houston led by BNL’s Mike Jensen may improve weather forecasts

• A joint team from BNL and Stony Brook University is developing new software to scan the precipitation radar system to select and track storm clouds to observe the rapid development of these storms.

Newsday: Heavy rains help to expand ‘dead zones’ in Long Island Sound, scientists say

• And then, said Christopher Gobler, professor at Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, “These storms occurred and the dead zone expanded all across the Long Island Sound, from the city all the way well into central Suffolk.”

WCBS-TV: Environmental experts say Long Island implements repairs to improve water quality after troubled storms

• Dr. Christopher Gobler and his students at Stony Brook University discovered all the major bays and estuaries from the Great Neck to East Hampton in the summer. They were exacerbated by storms Henri and Ida as polluted runoff discharged into coastal waters killed marine life. Also ran on Honduras News,

News12: Scientists raise concerns about trend of poor water quality on South Shore, Long Island Sound

• Christopher Gobler, a professor with Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, says scientists are predicting storms will become more frequent, which is going to impact more than just fish in the area.

WSHU-FM: Long Island’s bay scallop crop crashes for the 3rd year in a row after stormy summer

• Stony Brook University scientists have found that wastewater runoff from this summer’s storms has flooded Long Island’s waterways with nitrogen pollution. The poor water quality is a threat to the shellfish industry.

Newsday: Long Island professionals parlay experience into teaching gigs

•  Jim Gilmore teaches fisheries management at Stony Brook University. And after more than 30 years as a manager for the U.S. Postal Service, Joseph Celentano is senior adjunct faculty at Adelphi University

Southampton Press:  Skimmer Could Reduce Toxic Algae And Nitrogen Pollution In Lake Agawam

• Tammy Karst-Riddoch, a senior aquatic scientist at AECOM, noted that Dr. Chris Gobler of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences of Stony Brook University has found that nitrogen loading into Lake Agawam is 11,542 kilograms per year. It comes from a number of sources, but the biggest contributor is wastewater.

Environmental News Network: Long Island Water-Quality Assessment Shows Cause for Concern

• Stony Brook University scientists have completed their assessment of water quality in Long Island’s estuaries in 2021, and the news is not good. Also ran in Phys.org.

Three Village Patch: Stony Brook Study: Climate Change Could Alter Marine Food Web

• Research by scientists at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences says climate change is affecting biodiversity. (Press Release)

Dredge Wire: Reconfiguring Urban Shorelines for Resilience

• Dianna Padilla, a professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolution at Stony Brook University, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Convergence Accelerator phase 1 grant totaling nearly $750,000 to design a digital prototype of infrastructure replacements on urban shorelines that would prevent failing and also be scalable and transportable to actual urbanized shores in the U.S. and elsewhere. Also ran in Coastal News Today,

Huntsville Patch: University Of Alabama In Huntsville: Haliczer One Of 65 Graduate Students Nationwide To Earn DOE Program Fellowship

• “Collaborating with other scientists will only strengthen the work, and I look forward to exploring new thoughts and ideas,” Haliczer says. “I will be working with Dr. Pavlos Kollias, who is a professor of atmospheric science at Stony Brook University and has a joint appointment with the Department of Environmental and Climate Sciences at Brookhaven National Laboratory.”

Innovate LI: Water, Water Everywhere – And Around LI, It’s Toxic

• Stony Brook University scientists have completed a comprehensive, months-long assessment of Long Island coastal waters. Unfortunately, the good news stops there.

Innovate LI: No. 634: On Beatlemania, Bras And An Iron Baroness, With A Head Start On Your Halloween Candy

• Shore thing: A Stony Brook University conservation expert will lead a multi-disciplined team in the digital design of a new U.S. coastline – key to saving beachfronts from the damaging effects of climate change.

Suffolk Times: Stony Brook scientist: Algae blooms, dead zones are ‘new normal’ in East End waters

• Conditions causing low oxygen and harmful algae blooms in Long Island waters — including on the East End — have become a “new normal,” according to this year’s water quality report from Stony Brook University scientist Christopher Gobler. Also featured in Coastal News Today

National Science Foundation: Could climate change alter the marine food web?

• Climate change is redistributing biodiversity globally. Such distributional shifts of organisms often follow the speed and direction of environmental changes. U.S. National Science Foundation-funded research by biologists at Stony Brook University reveals that this phenomenon is affecting where large marine mammals are distributed relative to their prey , which could have important implications for marine food web dynamics. Also ran in Mirage News.

News12: Stony Brook professor: Foul smell off Great South Bay could be dangerous in large amounts

• Stony Brook University professor Dr. Christopher Gobler says the outbreak was not expected and that it’s a major warning sign of nitrogen water pollution in the bay.

WNYW-TV: Foul smell in Great South Bay is from decaying invasive seaweed

• This foul phenomenon is newer to North America. And this latest outbreak on Long Island is wreaking havoc in the Great South Bay, where the seaweed thrives on high nitrogen and carbon dioxide, according to Dr. Chris Gobler, a professor at Stony Brook University. Also ran in Granthshala News.

East Islip Patch: Scientist: Inhaling Decaying Seaweed On Great South Bay Harmful

• Dr. Christopher Gobler directs The Center for Clean Water Technology at Stony Brook University and says that people should look out for large amounts of decaying seaweed that smells rotten. Prolonged exposure could result in ill effects.

Newsday: Invasive red seaweed spreading “everywhere,” LI researchers say

• “This thing is everywhere,” said Christopher Gobler, a professor and researcher at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, noting that field studies as recently as Friday found it on the shore of Heckscher State Park. High levels of nitrogen and CO2 can fuel growth of the seaweed, Gobler said. “We think that combination could be driving the invasion of this seaweed.”

News12: WATCH LIVE: Presentation on the health of the Great South Bay

• Dr. Christopher Gobler of the Stony Brook University Gobler Laboratories is giving a presentation on the health of the Great South Bay.

WSHU: Whales are changing where they feed due to climate change, according to Long Island-based research

• Warming ocean waters are changing where whales and dolphins get their food, according to new research at Stony Brook University. J.D. Allen, host of WSHU’s new climate podcast, Higher Ground, spoke with scientist Lesley Thorne about her research for the series. Now that it’s published, he’s following up.

Read Media Newswire:  Stony Brook University Professor Donovan Finn Testifies at NYC Council Committee on Environmental Protection

• Donovan Finn, Assistant Professor of Environmental Design, Policy, and Planning at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, testified today at the New York City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection, Committee on Resiliency and Waterfronts, and Committee on Parks and Recreation. (press release)

New York Post: Shocked NYC fishermen are catching ‘monster’ 600-pound tunas

• “Their [bluefin] population may be increasing a bit because of all the food,” Carl Safina, a marine ecologist at Stony Brook University and author of “Song for the Blue Ocean,” told The Post. “It seems they are more abundant now than they were 10 to 20 years ago.” Also ran in Outsider, Fry Electronics, Tech Telegraph and  Vietnam Explorer News Channel.

Massapequa Patch: Great South Bay Reseeded With 1.5 Million Clams

• “We are pleased to partner with the DEC and Stony Brook University as we continue to expand our shellfish restoration program to our south shore, following our tremendous success in increasing planting on the north shore by millions,” said Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino.

East Hampton Star: Letters to the Editor for October 21, 2021

• Op-ed: “The eight current trustees have done an outstanding job over the past two years and longer. They have defended public access to our beaches and have worked closely with Stony Brook University’s Chris Gobler to monitor water quality in our harbors, ponds, and lakes.”

NBC New York: Long Island Beaches Stink — And the Rotten Egg Stench Is Coming from Seaweed

• Dr. Chris Gobler, a marine sciences researcher at Stony Brook University, said the red seaweed was first seen in the Long Island area just three years ago, but is now found in waters stretching across Suffolk County’s South Shore. The invasive species came from Japan likely by boat, according to Gobler, and has only been in North America since 2007. Also ran in Times News Express.

Newsday: Former News 12 meteorologist Britta Merwin anchoring Fox’s new weather streaming service

• When the streaming service Fox Weather debuts on Monday, one of its meteorologist anchors will be a former News 12 Long Island forecaster who received her atmospheric-science degree from Stony Brook University. “I came to Stony Brook for the meteorology program — they have a great atmospheric-science department,” says Britta Merwin, 37, who was born in San Antonio, Texas, and raised around the country as her father, a now-retired U.S. Air Force colonel, moved to different postings.

KHQ-TV: Mad Minute stories from Monday, October 25th

• Dr. Chris Gobler, a marine sciences researcher at Stony Brook University, said the red seaweed was first seen in the Long Island area just three years ago, but is now found in waters stretching across Suffolk County’s South Shore. The invasive species came from Japan likely by boat, according to Gobler, and has only been in North America since 2007.

CapCod.com: Nitrogen-Sensing Technology Making an Impact on Cape Cod

• Designed by Dr. Qingzhi Zhu at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, the sensor measures nitrogenic concentrations in real time and transmits the data where it can be analyzed remotely to assess septic system performance, removing costly barriers associated with monitoring septic systems.

Babylon Village Patch: Babylon Officials Transplant Live Hard Clams into Great South Bay

• The location was picked based on a study conducted by Stony Brook prior to 1986. The overall intention of the program is to place adult clams in specific areas where they will reproduce.

The City:  Governors Island Climate Research Hub Hopefuls Include Ex-Bloomberg Deputy Mayor

• The Trust declined to provide more details about the 12 proposals it received for the climate hub. But THE CITY spoke to backers of three of those dozen, including a team from Stony Brook University.

Harlem World: Trust For Governors Island Announces Climate Center Interest From Harlem To Hawaii

• Over 30 leading university and non-profit research institutions were represented as lead institutions or academic consortium partners in 12 eligible expressions of interest received, including: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY.

Gamers Grade: Study of destructive California fire finds resilience planning must account for socially vulnerable

• Fischer and co-authors Sara Hamideh and Payel Sen of Stony Brook University note that while some elements unique to Paradise can’t be generalized to other towns, the case study reveals new ways of conceptualizing interdependencies among community components and the role those interdependencies play in population return and housing recovery. Also ran in Phys.org, Mirage News,

Southampton Press: Nine Run For Five Seats on Southampton Town Trustees Board

• Andrew Brosnan has captained research vessels for SUNY Stony Brook Southampton, an experience that has provided him with in-depth knowledge of the local marine environment. Describing himself as “deeply involved in local environmental advocacy,” he served as chairman of Surfrider Foundation’s Eastern Long Island Chapter for four years, helping to spearhead environmental awareness campaigns. Also ran in the Sag Harbor Express.

Mid-Island Times: Town plants over a million clam seeds in Great South Bay (Also in Bethpage Newsgram)

• “We are pleased to partner with the DEC and Stony Brook University as we continue to expand our shellfish restoration program to our south shore, following our tremendous success in increasing planting on the north shore by millions,” said Supervisor Saladino. Based on the information gathered, Stony Brook determined where shellfish larvae from the spawn of the clams will drift in the next year. Using these calculations, they will continue to monitor the success of clams that are planted and spawned as a result of this effort.

Latest Seminar Videos

The Larry Swanson Waste on Wednesday’s Seminar Series has kicked off for 2021! The videos are available on our YouTube channel

Our other seminar series have been in full gear, as well. Check out the latest from our East End/Southampton Lecture Series, the Topics in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Seminar Series, and our Oceans, Sustainability, and Atmospheres Colloquium! Greg Metzger, the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center Chief Field Coordinator, kicked things off with his talk, “SOFO Shark Research and Education Program Update: Highlights and progress the team has made” at Southampton. There were also seminars by SoMAS faculty Sara Hamideh, Sharon Pochron, and Professor Emeritus Marv Geller!

Scientists Use New Method to Predict Precipitation Changes

STONY BROOK, NY, August 4, 2021 – Scientists studying global warming are able to project future spatial patterns of warming with confidence. However, changes and spatial patterns in precipitation are hard to predict. But now a study by researchers in Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) provides a new mathematical method to understand the physical causes of future regional precipitation changes, which has an impact on the environment, climate and many types of human activities worldwide. The method is described in a paper to be published in Communications Earth & Environment.

Lead author Wengui Liang, a SoMAS doctoral candidate, and his PhD advisor Minghua Zhang, PhD, Distinguished Professor, focused on the geographical area of East Asia, where the atmospheric processes related to rain can be clearly illustrated.

Using large-ensemble simulations from the Community Earth System Model and from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, Liang and Zhang detailed robust precipitation scaling with temperatures in East Asia. They built their theory on the deviation of precipitation changes in the region from something called the Clausius-Clapeyron scaling of local thermodynamics. This theory connects robust climate change features of weakening westerly jet, steepening moisture gradient along with the separation of dynamical and hydrological amplitudes of atmospheric eddies (or whirl of atmospheric air) with the precipitation scaling.

They found that the weakening westerlies as a result of the decreasing polar-to-Equator temperature gradient, and the increasing land-to-ocean water vapor gradient as a result of the Clausius-Clapeyron scaling, together with the wave amplitude changes of water vapor content in atmospheric eddies, cause the deviation of regional scaling of precipitation. These processes act together to diminish the thermodynamic scaling rate in summer but maintain that rate in winter – a projection that implies a less significant precipitation increase in the summer but larger increases of precipitation in the winter in East Asia.

“This finding helps us understand why predictions of regional precipitation in the future are different by different models, and are more reliable in some regions than in other regions,” says Zhang. “These results can be used by scientists to reduce model uncertainties and by officials to plan for water resource usage and infrastructure management.”

The researchers believe their method can be used in other regions of the world to investigate spatial and seasonal patterns of future precipitation changes.

The research is funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) (Grant # 1633299). The NSF’s National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) enabled the researchers to gain access to computing with the community earth system model.

Liang, W., & Zhang, M. (2021). Summer and winter precipitation in East Asia scale with global warming at different rates. Communications Earth & Environment, 2(1), 1-8.

Other Press Mentions

Phys.org: New mathematical model to predict precipitation changes

• But now a study by researchers in Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) provides a new mathematical method to understand the physical causes of future regional precipitation changes, which has an impact on the environment, climate and many types of human activities worldwide. The method is described in a paper to be published in Communications Earth & Environment. Also ran Gamers Grade.

Over 250 connections watched the live stream event, where 92 undergraduate students and graduate students were recognized. This includes 7 in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, 7 in Coastal Environmental Studies, 5 in Ecosystems and Human Impact, 15 in Environmental Design, Policy, and Planning, 3 in Environmental Humanities, 30 in Environmental Studies, 23 in Marine Sciences, 23 in Marine Vertebrate Biology, 13 in Sustainability Studies, 8 Master of Arts, 17 Master of Science, and 16 Doctor of Philosophy. The faculty directors of each program offered their congratulations to the students. Some were even accompanied by other members of their household, like Dr. Sharon Pochron and her chickens!

Dean Paul Shepson’s opening remarks highlighted the theme of Spring–a new dawn of a relatively new decade looking at the hopeful end of the pandemic and a new era of social justice.  Alum Jim Gilmore (MS, 1985) gave a Convocation Address giving hope about the opportunities available to our graduates. Dr. Judi Brown Clarke provided an inspiring Convocation message to our graduates.  Ms. Christina Fink read the names of our Undergraduate and MCP students, and Dr. Jackie Collier read the names of our MS and PhD students. Dean Shepson provided closing remarks that were joined by a chorus of well wishes from several faculty, staff and alumni.

The program PDF is available to download. Photos of the Class of 2021 are available on Google Photos and student slides are also available on Google Photos. Photos from the Main Campus Commencement that occurred on Wednesday May 19, 2021 taken by Kurt Bretsch are also available on Google Photos.

This event would not have been possible without the assistance from Christina Fink, Jackie Collier, Ginny Clancy, Kurt Bretsch, Nancy Black, Paul Shepson, Kamazima Lwiza, David Taylor, Chris Paparo, Tara Rider, Katherine Aubrecht, Ellen Pikitch, Brian Colle, Arlene Cassidy, Donovan Finn, Sharon Pochron, Glenn Lopez, Edmund Chang, Robert Cerrato, Robert Aller, Brad Peterson, Karine Kleinhaus, and Chris Gobler.

The Digital Convocation was compiled by Mark Lang.

In the YouTube video below, use the playlist button in the top right corner to choose different videos in the series. Jump to various parts of the SoMAS Convocation program, including Dean Shepson’s Opening Remarks, the Convocation Address from Jim Gilmore, the Convocation Address from Judi Brown Clarke, our In Memoriam tribute to Larry Swanson and Ryan Durie, the awarding of Undergraduate Certificates, the various award winners, the awarding of Graduate Certificates, Dean Shepson’s Closing Remarks, and congratulatory messages from SoMAS faculty, staff and alumni. Also included are video messages to Stony Brook students from President Maurie McInnis, her Commencement Address, Lt. Governor Kathy Hocul, and SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras’s address to all SUNY graduates. In case you missed it, the Stony Brook University Commencement ceremony and Graduate Awards Ceremony are also included, along with messages from the Stony Brook Alumni Association with a reminder that you are a Seawolf for Life!

STONY BROOK, NY, May 26, 2021 – The accuracy of weather forecasting decreases with each additional day of forecasting and is limited in accuracy at two weeks. Now a new study published in Nature Communications and led by Hyemi Kim, PhD, Associate Professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) at Stony Brook University, highlights a way to improve weather forecasts beyond two weeks by using machine learning.

Accurate weather forecasting has become increasingly important to society because of its socioeconomic value due to globalization, trade, travel, and the needs of policymakers and others such as risk managers. Reliable forecasts for weather conditions three-to-four weeks away (called the subseasonal range) can provide vital information about hazardous weather threats such as floods and heat waves.

Professor Kim and colleagues focused on a phenomenon known as the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO), a belt of thunderstorms that starts over the equatorial tropical Indian Ocean and moves slowly eastward toward the central Pacific Ocean, in a repetitious manner each year every 40 to 50 days. Scientists have used MJO as a key tool for three-to-four-week weather forecasting. However, computer modeling has not been able to simulate all aspects of MJO and therefore extended-range forecasts based on MJO information has a larger margin of error.

The team combined state-of-the-art weather forecast models and observations with a machine learning process (a Deep Learning bias correction using all of the data) to forecast the MJO. With this Deep Learning bias correction, forecast errors in the MJO averaged over four weeks reduced by 80~90 percent.

Professor Kim explains that computer models used for forecasting lose accuracy significantly when models try to reproduce MJO that crosses the Maritime Continent and moves eastward. Because of this, more model biases occur and predictions for global weather beyond two weeks becomes difficult.

“Our study demonstrates that machine learning substantially reduces the MJO forecast errors from models, and this will help improve global extended range forecasts,” says Professor Kim. “Because we created a simple approach with machine learning, this method can be implemented into operational forecasts that are currently used for two-week weather forecasting and longer.”

The researchers plan to apply their machine learning technique to test ways to improve forecasts of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes or heat waves in New York.

The research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (grant AGS-1652289).

Stony Brook University faculty members Anissa Abi-Dargham, J. Kirk Cochran, Maurizio Del Poeta, Yi-Xian Qin and Paul Shepson have been elevated to the rank of Distinguished Professor — a prestigious honor bestowed upon professionals of the highest caliber — by the State University of New York Board of Trustees.

“Appointment to a Distinguished Professorship at the State University of New York is a difficult rank to attain,” said SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras. “You have made major contributions to the field, and are considered a pioneer with your groundbreaking and innovative research. Your commitment to professional excellence is reflected in your appointment to the State University’s highest academic rank. As a newly active member of the SUNY Distinguished Academy, you will work with other Distinguished Faculty across the SUNY system to encourage a renewed commitment to quality instruction, service on our campuses, and strong leadership development for our newer faculty.”

“I join Chancellor Jim Malatras in stating that ‘your dedication to the highest principles of our profession and your continuing contributions to SUNY are a source of pride and inspiration for us all,’” said Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis. “All of us at Stony Brook University are extremely proud of all you have accomplished. On behalf of the entire University community, thank you for your outstanding service to Stony Brook.”

Kirk Cochran

About the Faculty
J. Kirk Cochran is Professor of Marine Geochemistry in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. He uses natural radionuclides to study Earth surface processes. Much of his recent research has focused on using naturally occurring radionuclides to determine rates of particle cycling and particulate organic carbon fluxes in the open ocean. This work has as its goal an understanding of the fate of carbon in the ocean and has been carried out in the North Atlantic, Pacific and Southern Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea.

Kirk came to Stony Brook after working at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, MA. For his undergraduate and graduate education he was mentored by two pioneers who worked with natural series radionuclides, J.K. Osmond at Florida State and Karl K.Turekian at Yale. Since his doctoral work, Kirk has demonstrated not just his skill in the use of isotopes to determine sources and time scales in the geosciences, especially oceanography, but also helped us all to develop a deep understanding of solid earth and ocean processes.

Kirk has an outstanding publication record (>180 papers and books; H-index 67 (Google Scholar)), his papers published in major international oceanographic journals (including 1 in Science and 8 in Nature-family journals). He has published on an exceptionally wide variety of topics. Using a very diverse set of isotopes to look at a wide variety of environments, he has made seminal contributions to our knowledge of rates and processes in the open ocean from Antarctica to the tropics (sedimentation, particle scavenging, export fluxes), coastal bay and lagoon sediments (sedimentation, particle scavenging), groundwater (especially submarine discharge to the ocean), and biogeography (animal growth rates, lifespans and habitats). Kirk has tackled basic science questions and also more applied environmental problems (metal and radionuclide contamination), and brought his scientific rigor to both areas. He has also been very active in methods development and intercalibration exercises. His published papers include methods development, radionuclide inventories, process analysis, syntheses, and reviews. One of the hallmarks of Kirk’s work is that throughout his research career, he has written excellent, scholarly review papers to put his work in a wider perspective, and make his (and others’) work more accessible to all. Kirk’s clarity of thinking and ability to explain how the world works through his writing and lecturing is truly exceptional.

Kirk also has an outstanding teaching record, fully commensurate with what one would expect for a Distinguished Professor. Kirk is very generous with his time, giving research lectures at other universities, serving on steering committees and review panels, and serving as the editor of the Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences. In addition, Kirk has been fostering ties between the U.S. and France, a contribution to international science.

Kirk is greatly respected within SoMAS, one measure of which is that he was asked by the faculty to serve as Interim Dean for what was then the Marine Sciences Research Center. Despite the substantial impact on his research, teaching, and personal life, he accepted the responsibility. He served with remarkable integrity and an even-hand (where do we find such people!?), emerging from his administrative duties with an even greater level of respect from his colleagues than when he began; a very impressive outcome given the ongoing financial challenges that typify Stony Brook University.

Paul Shepson

Paul Shepson is Dean of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. He conducts research on atmospheric chemistry and composition, interactions between the atmosphere and the surface, and how climate change impacts the physics, biology, and chemistry at the surface and in the atmosphere. Shepson studies Arctic and coastal halogen chemistry, greenhouse gas source and sink measurements, and atmospheric aerosols. He is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, and has approximately 220 peer-reviewed publications on various issues related to atmospheric and analytical chemistry.  He is also an avid pilot with instrument, commercial, and multi-engine ratings.

Paul and his wife, Jody, joined our SoMAS family in 2018. He has been a dynamic and engaged leader, committed to the SoMAS vision and prospects for its future growth and success. Paul has also been committed to pushing SBU towards new initiatives, such as leading efforts for the proposed Institute for Partnerships in Innovation, Resilience, and Environmental Solutions (INSPIRES), which draws inter-disciplinary expertise and capabilities from across campus to tackle environmental problems. He was a key partner/co-PI in establishing SoMAS/SBU as the new host for the Peconic Estuary Partnership, securing a future long-term engagement with the program.

As Dean, Paul manages a multitude of responsibilities. Despite the extraordinary financial and administrative challenges that seem to compound and repeat, Paul’s relentless spirit and tireless leadership serve as a model for all of us. His advocacy on behalf of our program, and for the people from which it is comprised, is unparalleled.

Paul’s scholarship has been recognized by his election as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the Walter Orr Roberts Lecturer award from the American Meteorological Society, and the American Chemical Society Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Technology. Paul has served as the Director of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Division at the National Science Foundation, as a member of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Space Weather Operations, Research and Mitigation Task Force, and currently serves as a member of the NYS Climate Action Council. He is a deeply impactful investigator with national and international reputation and recognition.

Paul has been a pioneer of studies on atmospheric chemistry and climate change. His highly cited work has focused on understanding air-surface interactions in the Arctic, in forest, and urban environments. He currently has 244 peer-reviewed publications and an H-index of 72. He has mentored ~80 MS, Ph.D. and postdoctoral trainees, and has formed numerous, very productive national and international teams studying atmospheric and environmental science. His research program has developed novel instrumentation to study the mechanisms and surface processes that lead to surface level ozone depletion in the Arctic. His work has provided exceptional insight, is highly impactful and has, and continues to, inform policy about air quality and climate. Paul has ensured that his research program at Stony Brook continues to flourish (while focusing on doing his principal job!) with funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

About the SUNY Distinguished Professorship

The Distinguished Professorship is conferred upon individuals who have achieved national and/or international prominence and a distinguished reputation within their chosen field. This distinction is attained through extraordinary contributions to, and impact on, the candidate’s field of study, often evidenced by significant research and/or creative activity. Moreover, the candidate should be a role model for students and other faculty and their work must be of such character that it has the potential to elevate the standards of scholarship or creative activity of colleagues both within and beyond their academic fields. Their work must be of such quality that students and scholars on other SUNY campuses would benefit from lectures and seminars, or other appropriate presentations the faculty members might provide. Further, to be eligible for nomination, a faculty member must have attained and held the rank of full professor for five years, and must have at least one year of full-time service at the nominating institution.

More information about SUNY’s faculty award program is available online.

Dr. Kamazima Lwiza, and co-PIs Dr. Edmund Chang, Dr. Brian Colle, Dr. Hyemi Kim, and Dr. Weisen Shen, have received a new award from NSF in support of the project “GP-IN: Discovering Pathways into the Geosciences through EarthBus Partnership”, in the amount $349,954, for the period 4/15/2021 – 3/31/2024.  An abstract for the project is provided below.

GP-IN: Discovering Pathways into the Geosciences through EarthBus Partnership
Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and Department of Geosciences have partnered with a non-governmental organization known as BioBus, Suffolk County Community College, two school districts on Long Island, two schools in New York City, Suffolk County, and two private surveying and construction firms to form an “EarthBus Partnership”. The alliance is designed to increase diversity student participation in the geoscience fields, which currently is about 7%. Apart from one school district, which was selected for integration, the rest have large numbers of minority and high-needs student. The project targets earth science students and teachers at the middle and high school levels, and community college students. Expected results are to increase interest in the geosciences as well as improved students’ performance on State mandated instruction, and to equip teachers with strategies and techniques for helping students engage in project-based learning earth science. This will be achieved through a multi-pronged approach by using classrooms, BioBus vehicles as our mobile labs where demonstrations and laboratory experiments will be conducted, use of drone technology and field research. Also, we will get two school districts on Long Island to collaborate on field research projects. This will allow us to test the impact of integrating school districts from different economic levels in learning. Our goal is to train 2,500 high school students, 120 earth science teachers, and 50-60 community college students over three years. It is also expected that the work started through this project will continue after NSF funding expires through fundraising activities.

Nitrogen Sensor for Advanced Septic Systems

• Nitrogen pollution from septic tanks has been identified as the single largest contributor to deteriorating groundwater quality on Long Island. Stony Brook University researcher Qingzhi Zhu created a high accuracy, low-maintenance sensor that will help manufacturers, homeowners, and local and state governments know that these systems are performing as intended to protect valuable water resources.

Times Beacon Record: Scientist receives TAF award for a nitrogen sensor technology to advance septic systems

• Qingzhi Zhu, PhD, Associate Professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) at Stony Brook University, has received a SUNY Technology Accelerator Fund (TAF) award for his research to develop a low-cost, high-accuracy nitrogen detecting system for wastewater systems that has the potential to greatly improve testing processes and quality of water.

Bioengineer.org: New insights into close encounters between albatross and fishing vessels

• The research team included albatross researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, San Jose State University, NOAA Fisheries, Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Pacific Rim Conservation, San Diego State University and Stony Brook University.

27east/Southampton Press: Sag Harbor Gets Mixed Report On Water Quality

East Hampton Star: To Advance Kelp Farming on the East End

Nature World News: Worse than Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: Abandoned Yemeni Tanker Can Wreck the Red Sea

Sputnik International:This Little-Talked About Vessel Off Yemen Threatens to Halt Red Sea Shipping, Spark Mass Extinctions

• Commenting on the danger to The Media Line, Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences professor Karine Kleinhaus stressed that “the importance of the Red Sea ecosystem cannot be overstated.”

The Fish Site: Putting a value on nitrogen remediation by bivalves

• The study was conducted by shellfish biologists, economists, and modellers from NOAA Fisheries, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, and Stony Brook University. It was recently published in Environmental Science & Technology.

John Bohorquez won first prize in the prose category of the annual Words on Water writing competition held by the BLUE Institute. His story was titled “The Many Faces of Marine Conservation – From a Remote Colombian Island to a Roman Boardroom in Three Days” and is available on the competition’s website:https://blueinstitute.org/%22words-on-water%22-2020

The Inquirer and Mirror: Outdoor dining returning to downtown this summer

• The board approved 21 pending contracts totaling $682,557. They include $29,990 to Stony Brook University graduate student Stephen Heck for a bay scallop and eelgrass study.

The SoMAS Ocean Glider completed its third deployment this week.

The SoMAS Ocean Glider, SBU01, completed its third mission earlier this week traveling some 550 km in 25 days starting offshore Shinnecock Inlet and ending up off Manasquan Inlet in New Jersey. The ocean glider project is funded by NY DEC’s Ocean Indicators MOU and, in collaboration with Rutgers to measure ocean pH, a grant from NOAA. The goal of these efforts is to monitor long-term changes in the physical and biological properties within the Middle Atlantic/New York Bight. The glider propels itself by changing is displacement thereby moving up and down through the water column while gliding forward at about 0.6 kt. As the glider progresses along a predefined cruise track it measures temperature, salinity, pressure, chlorophyll-a, backscatter, dissolved oxygen and pH. During this last cruise the glider produced some 2500 vertical profiles of these variables down to a maximum depth of 180m. Near real-time data is telemetered ashore via an Iridium link every time the glider surfaces which happened during this deployment at 5-hour intervals and it is that pre-QA’d data that is shown in the figures attached.

Congrats to Charlie Flagg on his progress with this project.

The Knopf group’s research collaboration was mentioned in a feature by Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory:
EMSL’s new web feature, “Aloft, Some Mysteries of Complex Chemistry” is now live (https://www.emsl.pnnl.gov/news/aloft-some-mysteries-of-complex-chemistry/1657). This article focuses on atmospheric aerosol research collaborations between EMSL user Alexander Laskin, EMSL chemist Swarup China, and numerous U.S. national laboratory, academic, and industry researchers. In a sweeping look at studies published over the past five years, this articles discusses projects investigating the chemistry and composition of biological aerosol particles.

Sag Harbor Express: Humans Driving Environmental Plagues, Stony Brook Scientist Says

• In his annual “State of the Bays” presentation, recapping how Long Island’s bays, harbors and ponds fared in the prior year, Stony Brook University professor Dr. Christopher Gobler said that he is among the growing chorus of scientists who believe that the Earth has now entered a new epoch of geologic history — one defined by the activities of human beings becoming the dominant influence on the planet’s climate and the environment rather than simply the forces of nature.

The Ritz Herald: NYSDEC To Deploy New Technology To Study Harmful Algal Blooms at Lake Agawam

• State experts are working closely with the Lake Agawam community, and in collaboration with Stony Brook University. Together, they are set to study the effectiveness of ultrasonic devices on Lake Agawam throughout the summer of 2021.

In case you missed it, here are the latest videos available on our YouTube channel!

• Dr. Andrew Ross’s OSAC seminar “Predicting dissolved oxygen concentrations in Chesapeake Bay using machine learning”
• The first Larry Swanson Waste on Wednesdays seminar: Waste 101 with Will Flower, Vice President of Winters Brothers, and Mike Englemann, P.G., Solid Waste Coordinator, Town of Smithtown.
• Dr. Malcolm Bowman, with Dr. Keith Roberts and Hamish Bowman’s OSAC seminar “Understanding Past Storm Surges & Predicting Future Surges In New York Harbor & Long Island”

From SBU’s Pavlos Kollias Part of BNL Team Studying ‘Secondary’ Ice on Stony Brook University News, March 24, 2021

Where does snow come from? This may seem like a simple question, but a new study on how water becomes ice in slightly supercooled Arctic clouds may make you rethink the simplicity of snow.

Pavlos Kollias, a professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University and an atmospheric scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), is a co-author of the study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study includes new direct evidence that shattering drizzle droplets drive explosive “ice multiplication” events. The findings have implications for weather forecasts, climate modeling, water supplies — and even energy and transportation infrastructure.

“Our results shed new light on prior lab-experiment-based understanding about how supercooled water droplets — water that’s still liquid below its freezing point — turn into ice and eventually snow,” said BNL atmospheric scientist Edward Luke, lead author on the paper. The new results, from real-world long-term cloud radar and weather-balloon measurements in mixed-phase clouds (composed of liquid water and ice) at temperatures between 0 and -10 degrees Celsius (32 and 14° Fahrenheit), provide evidence that freezing fragmentation of drizzle drops is important to how much ice will form and potentially fall from these clouds as snow.

“Now climate models and the weather forecast models used to determine how much snow you’ll have to shovel can make a leap forward by using much more realistic physics to simulate ‘secondary’ ice formation,” Luke said.

What Is Secondary Ice?

Precipitating snow from supercooled clouds usually originates from “primary” ice particles, which form when water crystallizes on select tiny specks of dust or aerosols in the atmosphere, known as ice-nucleating particles. However, at slightly supercooled temperatures (i.e., 0 to -10°C), aircraft observations have shown that clouds can contain far more ice crystals than can be explained by the relatively few ice-nucleating particles present. This phenomenon has puzzled the atmospheric research community for decades. Scientists have thought that the explanation is “secondary” ice production, in which the additional ice particles are generated from other ice particles. But catching the process in action in the natural environment has been difficult.

Data collected at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) atmospheric observatory in Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska, indicate that shattering drizzle droplets play a major role in the formation of “secondary” ice in mixed-phase clouds. The results will improve how these cloud processes are represented in computational models used to forecast climate and local snowfall. (Credit: ARM user facility)

Previous explanations for how secondary ice forms relied mainly on laboratory experiments and limited, short-term aircraft-based sampling flights. A common understanding that came out of several lab experiments was that relatively big, fast-falling ice particles, called rimers, can “collect” and freeze tiny, supercooled cloud droplets — which then produce more tiny ice particles, called splinters. But it turns out that such “rime splintering” isn’t nearly the whole story.

The new results from the Arctic show that larger supercooled water droplets, classified as drizzle, play a much more important role in producing secondary ice particles than commonly thought.

“When an ice particle hits one of those drizzle drops, it triggers freezing, which first forms a solid ice shell around the drop,” explained Fan Yang, a co-author on the paper. “Then, as the freezing moves inward, the pressure starts to build because water expands as it freezes. That pressure causes the drizzle drop to shatter, generating more ice particles.”

The data show that this “freezing fragmentation” process can be explosive.

“If you had one ice particle triggering the production of one other ice particle, it would not be that significant,” Luke said. “But we’ve provided evidence that, with this cascading process, drizzle freezing fragmentation can enhance ice particle concentrations in clouds by 10 to 100 times — and even 1,000 on occasion!

“Our findings could provide the missing link for the mismatch between the scarcity of primary ice-nucleating particles and snowfall from these slightly supercooled clouds.”

Millions of Samples

The new results hinge upon six years of data gathered by an upward-pointing millimeter-wavelength Doppler radar at the DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s North Slope of Alaska atmospheric observatory in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska. The radar data are complemented by measurements of temperature, humidity and other atmospheric conditions collected by weather balloons launched from Utqiagvik throughout the study period.

Kollias was crucial to the collection of this millimeter-wavelength radar data in a way that made it possible for the scientists to deduce how secondary ice was formed.

Weather balloons launched throughout the study period provided data on local temperature, humidity and other atmospheric conditions. By matching those data with Doppler radar measurements that are sensitive to the size, shape and movement of ice and water particles in clouds, scientists were able to identify the conditions responsible for explosive ice multiplication events. (Credit: ARM user facility)

“ARM has pioneered the use of short-wavelength cloud radars since the 1990s to better understand clouds’ microphysical processes and how those affect weather on Earth today. Our team led the optimization of their data sampling strategy so information on cloud and precipitation processes like the one presented in this study can be obtained,” Kollias said.

The radar’s millimeter-scale wavelength makes it uniquely sensitive to the sizes of ice particles and water droplets in clouds. Its dual polarization provides information about particle shape, allowing scientists to identify needlelike ice crystals — the preferential shape of secondary ice particles in slightly supercooled cloud conditions. Doppler spectra observations recorded every few seconds provide information on how many particles are present and how fast they fall toward the ground. This information is critical to figuring out where there are rimers, drizzle and secondary ice particles.

Using sophisticated automated analysis techniques developed by Kollias, Luke and Yang, the scientists scanned through millions of these Doppler radar spectra to sort the particles into data buckets by size and shape — and matched the data with contemporaneous weather-balloon observations on the presence of supercooled cloud water, temperature and other variables. The detailed data mining allowed them to compare the number of secondary ice needles generated under different conditions: in the presence of just rimers, rimers plus drizzle drops, or just drizzle.

The results were clear: Conditions with supercooled drizzle drops produced dramatic ice multiplication events, many more than rimers.

Short- and Long-Term Impacts

These real-world data give the scientists the ability to quantify the “ice multiplication factor” for various cloud conditions, which will improve the accuracy of climate models and weather forecasts.

“Weather prediction models can’t handle the full complexity of the cloud microphysical processes. We need to economize on the computations, otherwise you’d never get a forecast out,” said Andrew Vogelmann, another co-author on the study. “To do that, you have to figure out what aspects of the physics are most important, and then account for that physics as accurately and simply as possible in the model. This study makes it clear that knowing about drizzle in these mixed-phase clouds is essential.”

Besides helping you budget how much extra time you’ll need to shovel your driveway and get to work, a clearer understanding of what drives secondary ice formation can help scientists better predict how much snow will accumulate in watersheds to provide drinking water throughout the year. The new data will also help improve our understanding of how long clouds will stick around, which has important consequences for climate.

“More ice particles generated by secondary ice production will have a huge impact on precipitation, solar radiation (how much sunlight clouds reflect back into space), the water cycle and the evolution of mixed-phase clouds,” Yang said.

Cloud lifetime is particularly important to the climate in the Arctic, and the Arctic climate is very important to the overall energy balance on Earth.

“Mixed-phase clouds, which have both supercooled liquid water and ice particles in them, can last for weeks on end in the Arctic,” Vogelmann said. “But if you have a whole bunch of ice particles, the cloud can get cleared out after they grow and fall to the ground as snow. Then you’ll have sunlight able to go straight through to start heating up the ground or ocean surface.”

That could change the seasonality of snow and ice on the ground, causing melting and then even less reflection of sunlight and more heating.

“If we can predict in a climate model that something is going to change the balance of ice formation, drizzle, and other factors, then we’ll have a better ability to anticipate what to expect in future weather and climate, and possibly be better prepared for these impacts,” Luke said.

Maximilian Maahn, now at Leipzig University, was an additional co-author on this study. At the time of the study, he was affiliated with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Colorado Boulder.

• Read the BNL press release

Welcome back and Happy New Year!
I feel confident that 2021 will be a great year, because we will make it that way!
There are so many reasons to be optimistic about this year, and the future.

First, we have all been through a lot, together, and we have persevered. We have much more to do before we have conquered COVID-19, but it is encouraging to see President Biden’s administration take it very seriously, and develop plans to do so. We are all looking forward with great anticipation to the time when we can all work together, in the field, on our passion – contributing to a healthier natural world. And, we look forward to our future together with animated and engaging dialogue in the classroom. It will come!

At SoMAS, this year should see completion of the Flax Pond Marine Laboratory‘s shellfish hatchery, which will include a high quality sea water intake system, that will enable exciting new research efforts at Flax Pond. We will begin our new adventure as Host for the Peconic Estuary Partnership (PEP), which has as its mission “Protecting and restoring the Peconic Estuary and its watershed”. We are delighted to have this opportunity (through a grant from EPA) to contribute to the success of PEP, and extend our reach and positive impact on the east end.

And speaking of estuaries, this year we will celebrate the arrival of Yong Chen and his group at SoMAS; Yong et al. will lead us forward in the pursuit of the scientific opportunities from the remarkable treasure trove represented in the Hudson River Biological Monitoring Program samples and data.

There is a wide array of exciting research activities going on this year, such as Pavlos Kollias and Mariko Oue‘s upcoming work on studies of convective clouds in the Gulf Coast region, as part of the Experiment of Sea Breeze Convection, Aerosols, Precipitation and Environment (ESCAPE) project in Houston in the summer, and furthering the application of state-of-the art radar meteorology to better understand convective clouds.

And speaking of wind, there are new projects spinning up (so to speak…) around campus related to the New York State implementation of off-shore wind power, including a new project involving Mike Frisk and Bob Cerrato, and colleagues. This connects us to the Governor’s plan to develop 9GW of off-shore wind power, an important contributor to the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). By the end of this year, the Climate Action Council will have completed development of the “Scoping Plan” that lays out NY’s approach to meeting the goals of the CLCPA. We’ll want to stay on top of that! But it is exciting that New York State is leading the country in this way.

We can hope for the passage of the “Environmental Bond Act” that would support New York with its associated investments in renewable energy. All of these new activities described above should bring new opportunities for our students, to be a part of these exciting new initiatives, through undergraduate research and/or internships.

And speaking of climate mitigation, isn’t it exciting that the U.S. will re-join the Paris Climate Accord? We should want the U.S. to lead, and innovate, and define new ways to simultaneously meet our energy needs in sustainable ways, and contribute to a vibrant economy. We can do that, if we can imagine a better future, and commit, together, to getting there. It is great to be among the leaders in this area; we can celebrate our recognition as #3 among the “Top 10 Colleges where you can make a difference in the climate crisis” by continuing to lead, and innovate.

I should also say that with the arrival of Paul Goldbart as our new Provost, and given the recent arrival of Maurie McInnis as President, we look forward to having a long-term stable, creative, and supportive leadership at Stony Brook University. Their success is ours, and vice versa, so let us work together to help them succeed.

We have a great deal of work to do, but that only compels and energizes us. Quoting from Amanda Gorman‘s inspiring poem:

“When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

Together, we will make this year great, and our world a little brighter and more hopeful.

Thank you for that.

Regards,

Paul Shepson, Dean of SoMAS

Brookhaven Lab/Stony Brook University atmospheric scientist recognized for advances in the field of cloud and precipitation physics through novel applications of millimeter-wavelength radars

UPTON, NY — Atmospheric scientist Pavlos Kollias, who holds a joint appointment at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Stony Brook University (SBU), is the recipient of a 2020 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Atmospheric Sciences Ascent Award.

This award annually recognizes five exceptional, mid-career scientists for their excellence in research and leadership in the atmospheric and climate sciences.

“I had no idea my work had left such an impression on my community,” Kollias said. “I am grateful for my mentors, colleagues, and family, whose support has been instrumental throughout my career.”

Kollias noted that he strives to give back by mentoring young scientists in atmospheric remote sensing, which has fascinated him for years.

The community of scientists using short-wavelength radars to study clouds was extremely small when Kollias was a graduate student. “You could count on one hand the number of people that had these kinds of systems at universities in the U.S.,” he said.

But in the 20 years since the atmospheric scientist received his Ph.D. in meteorology from the University of Miami, he has helped grow the field, in part by teaching a new generation of scientists domestically and abroad—through universities and workshops—to carry on the work of using radars to better understand clouds and rain formation and their role in Earth’s climate.

Kollias, who is the director of Brookhaven Lab’s Center for Multiscale Applied Sensing and a professor in the department of atmospheric sciences at Stony Brook University, also actively seeks to connect with the private sector and technologists who are working to improve atmospheric measurements through the development of next-generation remote sensing systems. For example, the radar enthusiast has built a strong partnership with Raytheon, allowing him to explore applications of phased-array radars for weather tracking.

Growing up in sunny Athens, Greece, Kollias rarely saw severe weather making the news. Yet he became interested in cloud microphysics, remote sensing, and climate as he worked toward earning a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in atmospheric science at the University of Athens. He was motivated to come to the United States to acquire more hands-on radar meteorology and cloud and precipitation research experience, he said.

It was at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science that Kollias got swept up by what he calls the “perfect storm” that influenced his own career and research. He found mentors in cloud scientist Bruce Albrecht, who served as his dissertation advisor and further fostered his interest in cloud-scale processes, and in Roger Lhermitte, now deceased, whom he remembers as the “godfather of radar meteorology.”

“With this nurturing, there was no question when I graduated in 2000 that I was ready to understand radar technology and help the field grow,” Kollias said. He was also equally ready to tackle the physical processes at play in cloud and precipitation systems, he said.

Kollias’s interests led him to connect with the DOE’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility, which has pioneered the use of small-wavelength cloud radars since the 1990s. He served as ARM’s associate chief scientist from 2007 to 2009, after which he became a Canada Research Chair at McGill University. In 2016 Kollias moved back to the U.S. to join Brookhaven Lab and SBU. He said he got “fired up” by Associate Lab Director for Environment, Biology, Nuclear Science & Nonproliferation Martin Schoonen’s strategic vision for the Lab’s environmental and climate sciences department.

Kollias stressed that the DOE has played a key role in providing him unique observations to push his work forward, and in introducing him to other scientists to collaborate with and learn from in the field.

“I am grateful for the large dataset and community provided by ARM and for the countless discussions I have had with colleagues from Brookhaven Lab and elsewhere over the years,” he said. “Nothing could be done without them.”

Allison McComiskey, chair of Brookhaven Lab’s environmental and climate sciences department, has known Kollias through ARM for many years and has been able to watch his impact on their scientific community grow.

“His recognition this year from AGU is well deserved, and we are fortunate to count him as part of our team in the environmental and climate sciences at Brookhaven,” McComiskey said. “Many of the breakthroughs in our field come from the ability to see our environment in a novel way. Pavlos has the vision and skills to make that happen in atmospheric remote sensing. I am looking forward to working alongside him in the next few years as his impact drives our programs in the areas of energy and climate research forward.”

As the author or co-author of more than 150 peer-reviewed scientific articles heads into the next stage of his career, he is continuing to push the boundaries of how we collect observations of clouds and precipitation. In collaboration with Edward Luke and Katia Lamer from Brookhaven Lab, Mariko Oue from SBU, and Bernat Puigdomenech from McGill University, he has developed a new observing paradigm by which radar operations adapt to changes in the atmosphere in real time.

A goal of this dynamic data-driven sampling is to steer radars in a way that will help scientists gain a better understanding of short-lived and fast-evolving weather phenomena. Such measurements could, for example, allow radars to observe a fair-weather cloud throughout its life cycle––something that so far, can only been documented from afar using photography.

Kollias’s work at Brookhaven Lab is funded through the DOE Office of Science.

Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.

Follow @BrookhavenLab on Twitter or find us on Facebook.

Congratulations to Distinguished Professor Bob Aller, who has received a 2020 Outstanding Mentor Award from Stony Brook University! This award recognizes excellence in mentoring of early career faculty. Dean Shepson offered his hearty congratulations and a thank you for Bob’s generosity with his time, and sage guidance. “We all appreciate and benefit from that!”

Dr. Roger Flood has received a new award in support of his project, “Continuing Studies of Acoustic Mapping, Long Island Sound Cable Fund – Seafloor Mapping Phase 2“, for the period 7/30/20-12/30/20, in the amount $$23,500.  An abstract for the project is provided below.

Dr. Roger Flood

New York State and the State of Connecticut border Long Island Sound and underwater cables and pipelines connect the energy infrastructure of the two states to each other and to facilities at offshore locations. These underwater connections are important to the economies of each state and to the stability of their energy systems. However, when this kind of underwater infrastructure is proposed there is often little or no attempt of those who propose that infrastructure to identify or avoid areas of potential ecological importance or to mitigate any impacts. In 2002 a Connecticut legislative task force found there was a lack of substantial scientific information regarding the seafloor habitats of Long Island Sound (LIS) which hampered the ability of the State to properly respond to and address topics such as the placement of large scale in-water utility infrastructure in Long Island Sound.

This substantial need for information on seafloor habitats resulted in the formation of a fund to, in part, emphasize benthic mapping as a priority need for improving management decisions. SoMAS at Stony Brook University is currently participating in Phase 2 of the Long Island Sound Cable Fund Seafloor Mapping project which is collecting essential information for delineating and understanding benthic habitats in Long Island Sound. In Phase 2, the SoMAS expertise in high-resolution bathymetry and backscatter mapping and side-scan sonar mapping to image the sea floor in 25 survey blocks in eastern Long Island Sound.  This acoustic data is being merged with sediment analyses, benthic faunal data and visual sea-floor imaging to characterize and delineate benthic habitats in the Phase 2 study area.  As part of this funding extension we will continue our collaboration with our Connecticut, New York and NOAA partners, update and finalize our survey results, complete the archiving of raw and processed data files, finalize metadata for the survey results, and integrate our acoustic data into the main Final Project Technical Report which is expected mid-2021.

From Dean Paul Shepson:

Press Briefs

UPI: Disaster awaits if aging Red Sea oil tanker isn’t emptied soon, scientists warn
The Pioneer: Scientists warn of catastrophic oil spill from abandoned ship in Red Sea
Eurasia Review: Likely Massive Oil Spill Endangering Red Sea, Region’s Health
Gizmodo: Deteriorating Oil Tanker Threatens the Red Sea, Scientists Warn
The Independent: Abandoned tanker containing 1 million barrels of oil could cause ‘devastation’ in Red Sea, scientists warn   Also ran in The Week, Outlook India, Health Medicine Network, Yahoo News, Science Alert, and Deccan Herald.
Phys.org: Scientists warn of likely massive oil spill endangering the Red Sea, region’s health  Also ran in Science Magazine, Sci Tech Daily, Science Codex and  Science Magazine. Eco Magazine
Nature World News: Looming Massive Oil Spill Disaster Feared from Abandoned Ship in the Red Sea
Lab Roots: The Safer is definitely not safe
Jewish Press: Oil Spill 4-Times the Exxon Valdez Anticipated in the Red Sea Also ran in Jerusalem Post, Jewish News & Israel News, Cleveland Jewish News and  Israel 21

Staten Island Live: DEC looking into why large number of dead fish are washing up on nearby shores, including on Staten Island
Upper West Side Patch: Throngs Of Fish Are Dying Again Along The Hudson River: See It
The Marine Animal Disease Laboratory is working with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to test samples of a large group of fish found dead in the Hudson River.

Large Groups of Fish Found Dead in Hudson River Again; Scientists Testing Samples

Dr. Kevin Reed interviewed during PBS NewsHour on November 21, 2020.